


The Invitation

by MzDany



Series: The Shane/Dustin universe [4]
Category: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 02:15:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MzDany/pseuds/MzDany
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continuation of "Love, interrupted". Dustin asks Shane out on a formal date, for he has something to say...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Invitation

There he is! Right after I round the corner I spot him sitting on the low wall next to the half-pipe at the skate park, just where I thought he was going to be. Damn, he's so _fine!_

He's dressed in red, as usual. One bent leg up on the wall, his black and red Air Jordan's tapping to the beat of the boombox that's blaring out some hip hop song a few feet away. His board is propped against the wall and his helmet is sitting next to him. He's still wearing his elbow pads, so he must have just come off the ramp not too long ago.

The palms of my hands are clammy; now that I'm here, my resolve wavers. Should I really do this? _Yes,_ I need to do this, but I'll just hang back for a moment to calm my racing heart...

I retreat a few steps until I'm half in the shadows of the smaller one of the two skate ramps. From there I just watch him. I still can't believe it sometimes how lucky I was that he didn't just up and slug me when I told him about my feelings for him a few months ago. And then, about two weeks back, when he tackled me in Kelly's storeroom and kissed me…Man, I've been on cloud nine ever since and I haven't come down yet. Don't want to come down any time soon, either.

The dude sitting next to Shane is tossing a remark at him, pointing towards the ramp. Shane turns his head slightly, says something back, pointing as well. Then they both laugh. Clearly they're making fun of some other skater.

He's so at ease, so carefree, it's hard to imagine sometimes that he is the Red Ranger, our leader, always on the frontlines to save the people of this town - and sometimes of this entire planet - from Lothor's evil plans. I'm just hoping that Lothor will take Saturday off from throwing the world into chaos, because I've already made other plans for us...

My hand goes into my jacket pocket, fingering the envelope there, the reason for my clammy hands and racing heart. _God,_ I hope he'll say yes!

I continue to watch Shane while he's watching the other skaters on the ramp. My eyes travel over his body, to his face, his lips, remembering where those lips had been just last night...and I try not to sigh in bliss.

He's a darn good kisser. I guess I am, too, for he has told me so just the other day. I couldn't help but tease him, though – telling him that it would still take years of in-depth research before I can be thoroughly convinced of the exact level of his expertise in that matter. He had peered at me with that perplexed look in his eyes that just about everyone gets when they hear me use non-monosyllabic words _\- that airhead reputation does precede me_ \- but then he had laughed and assured me that I may conduct as many experiments as I like on his mouth and lips – and other places. And I _do_ want to get to those other places!

Well, actually, I did. Granted, we were both pretty damn clumsy at first, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't every ounce as awesome as I had dreamed it would be. And we're getting better; in two weeks of enthusiastic practice, we've expanded our horizons in that matter quite a bit.

I know that, eventually, there'll be time for lube and condoms, but not yet. Heck, we've only made it past First Base so far and I'm not even sure how to handle Second Base once the time comes around for that. And it will come soon. Real soon.

I mean, I have some good ideas – there are gay website out there that are quite graphic and informative, after all. Having my own computer in my room and a father who forgot to enable the parental controls when he set it up for me really helped there.

Okay, I seriously need to be thinking about something else right now, because my pants are suddenly getting really tight…

I start towards the wall where he's sitting, anxious to pull him away from his poser-buddies. High time for some quality time alone, just him and me!

I take care to keep my face blank, for we have agreed not to tip anyone off about us yet. I haven't gone half a dozen steps when his head turns towards me. He's developing a Dustin radar. Not that I mind…

His expression is as casual as mine, but his beautiful eyes sparkle as I come closer. We go through our head-nodding and palm-slapping procedure and I rap knuckles with 'what's-his-name' next to him.

We only make the most necessary of small-talks before he grabs his board and backpack and gives his fellow skater some bull about me having to help him work on a math homework problem. I heartily support the lie, even though the only problem I want to work on is getting him out of these pants in under ten seconds.

We stroll out of the park and start walking aimlessly, knowing that sooner or later we'll end up at either his or my house – we always do. We chit-chat about school and Ranger stuff. He chuckles at the funny anecdote I tell him about my English teacher and that smile looks so good on him that I have to hold myself back from kissing him right here in the middle of the sidewalk.

But kissing can wait, the other thing…that can't. I stop walking. "Uhm, Shane, listen, dude…"

He stops as well, looking at me with a quizzical expression.

I pull the envelope out of my jacket pocket. "I got these tickets…There's this Broadway musical and it's gotten awesome reviews…It's on tour in Cali right now and it's playing at the Harbor Theater Saturday afternoon."

"You mean musical as in… ' _Cats_ '? ' _My Fair Lady_ ', that kinda thing? " His eyebrows arch and suddenly there's wariness in his eyes. Clearly, he doesn't want to be caught dead going to one of those plays. I can't help but laugh at his expression.

"No, dude, it's called 'We Will Rock You' and it's…well, it's a rock musical." I show him the tickets. "The music's from Queen and there's all kinds of action going on. They even have a skateboard guy."

That must've bowled him over, for the look in his eyes relaxes and he takes a closer look at the tickets while I blabber on.

"It's a matinee, so I thought maybe we could make a real date out of it and go out to dinner afterwards. I was thinking Red Lobster or maybe Applebees…"

"Do I have to wear a tie?" The wary look's back with a vengeance.

I roll my eyes and grin. "No, dude, but maybe something with a collar…and do you have any slacks that actually have creases in it?"

"What are creases?"

I roll my eyes again, this time in exasperation, and open my mouth to explain, but he laughs and cuts me off.

"Dude, I'm kiddin', okay? I have a pair." He looks into my eyes, suddenly serious. "And, yes, I'd love to go to the show with you. And to dinner afterwards."

_Thank you, Freddy Mercury!_

I mentally pump my fist in the air. _YES!_ I was hoping he wouldn't let me down, for I have a little agenda of my own; something I want to tell him either during or after dinner.

These past two weeks together have been great, and during that time something has become very clear to me; I've been scared of telling him so far, but Saturday will mark the date when I will swallow my fear, go out on a limb…and tell him.

Three little words that I haven't said out loud so far, but have thought about so often that it now hurts to keep them inside any longer.

I don't know how he's going to react; maybe I'm making this into something much bigger than it actually is, maybe it really isn't such a big deal for people to say this nowadays – but it is for me.

I mean, I'm laying my heart bare here, after all. It's dangerous for me, because it's a gesture of trust I've never made to anyone else before and even though he's my best friend, _and more now,_ it's still a somewhat scary step to take. But one I desperately want to take.

I just hope I don't scare him away with that. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

I bump his shoulder with mine, grin at him and say a very Dustin-like, "Cool, dude."

We continue walking, now talking about the show.

Saturday afternoon. Seventy-one hours from now.

I can still wait that long.

**THE END**


End file.
